Saturday, 23 November 2024

Dara Torres

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Athletes 2024
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Sport(s): Swimming
Statistics: 3 4x100 m Freestyle Relay Olympic Gold Medals (1984, 1992 & 2000)
1 4x100 m Medley Relay Gold Medal (2000)
2 4x100 m Medley Relay Olympic Silver Medals (1988 & 2008)
1 50 m Freestyle Silver Medal (2008)
1 4x100 m Freestyle Relay Olympic Silver Medal (2008)
1 4x100 m Freestyle Relay Olympic Bronze Medal (1988)
1 50 m Freestyle Olympic Bronze Medal (2000)
1 100 m Freestyle Olympic Bronze Medal (2000)
1 100 m Butterfly Olympic Bronze Medal (2000)
1 4x100 m Freestyle Relay World Championship Silver Medal (1986)
1 4x100 m Freestyle Relay Pan American Games Gold Medal (1983)
Member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame
Member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame
There have been a plethora of great swimmers from the United States, but only one broke the rules of age like Dara Torres.

Torres competed in five Olympic Games, which is impressive enough on its own merit, but even more so as they were not consecutive and had two retirements in between. The Californian made her Olympic debut in her home state at the L.A. Games in 1984, winning Gold in the 100 m freestyle relay. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Torres earned a Silver and Bronze in relays, and she won another Gold in the 4x100 m freestyle relay in Barcelona. That is a successful Olympic career, and she retired, or she thought.

Torres began training again in 1999 and qualified for the 2000 Sydney Games, where at age 33, she had her best Olympics, winning two Relay Golds and three Bronze Medals in individual competitions. She again retired, and sixteen months after giving birth, was back at the Olympics, now at 41, at the Beijing Games. Torres won three Silver Medals, and she became the oldest swimmer to win an Olympic Medal.

We are proud to nominate Dara Torres for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.

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